


Little Lion Man

by orphan_account



Series: Little Lion Man [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, DadSchlatt, Family Dynamics, Ouch, doesnt have anything to do with the smp, i do not know how tagging works and i dont want to learn, schlatt is trying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:47:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Schlatt couldn't say he was proud of it. A drunken mistake made in the late hours of the night. He considered leaving, running out of state again. Wasn't even going to meet the kid."
Series: Little Lion Man [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094102
Comments: 15
Kudos: 197





	Little Lion Man

**Author's Note:**

> i hope i made this clear lol. i wanted to write this bc the idea wouldnt stop haunting me, now it can haunt everyone who reads this. anyway i hope you like this LMAO

Schlatt never knew his father. Raised by an aunt who made it very clear that his father wasn't going to be part of his life. Never had any real conversations, getting half assed voicemails for his birthday that ended as soon as he turned twelve.

His aunt wasn't meant to be a mother, and she didn't try to pretend to be one. Schlatt didn't blame her, she still raised him. Maybe not the best, but Schlatt wasn't exactly asking for the best.

He moved out of the house as soon as he finished high-school. His aunt didn't even try to stop him, just made sure he had enough money to be able to afford rent for the first few months. He knew the money wasn't going to last long, and he had to get a job as soon as possible. 

Schlatt used most of the money to move across the country, unofficially cutting ties with the few people he could call 'family'.

________

Those ties were officially cut when Schlatt was twenty. Things were already not helped by the fact that he moved as far as he could and refused to be a part of the 'family' business. But having a kid was what ended up breaking things.

Schlatt couldn't say he was proud of it. A drunken mistake made in the late hours of the night. He considered leaving, running out of state again. Wasn't even going to meet the kid.

But he did, and it changed everything.

The kid wasn't even a week old, could barely keep his eyes open. Didn't even have a name yet. But he was so small, so fragile. Schlatt was afraid to hold him, worried that even that small act would somehow hurt the kid. So he kept his distance, crossing his arms across his chest in a weak attempt to create a barrier. 

He tried to make it clear that he wasn't cut out to be a dad. That the kid deserved better what he could give. Turns out, Schlatt wasn't the only one that didn't see themselves to be cut out to be a parent. The kid's mom explained how she couldn't take care of him. And that wasn't what Schlatt wanted to hear. So he asked, where was the kid gonna live. 

Turns out the street.

Schlatt thought it was a joke, a terrible, poorly made joke. But when seconds ticked by, it was very clearly not a joke. Schlatt asked why she even brought the kid over, if she was just going to toss the kid out in the end. She just said the same thing he did.

The kid deserved better.

She ended up leaving after an hour of talking. The kid still bundled in multiple blankets that made him seem even smaller. But he was left behind, tightly wrapped in Schlatt's arms.

________

Toby. Schlatt named him Toby.

Schlatt barely let him out of his sight, somehow convincing his job to allow him to work from home for a bit. Toby was still so young, so small, but it didn't seem to stop him from trying to give Schlatt a heart attack at any given chance. He would crawl across the floor when Schlatt wasn't looking and somehow get himself stuck under the sink. Soon, it turned into routine. Get home from work, go find Toby.

Despite kind of getting a routine going, Schlatt still found himself struggling. Money was being spent at a much faster rate, and Schlatt ended up getting a second job. It helped financially, but Schlatt found himself barely able to keep his eyes open. Things only started to become better once Schlatt didn't have to keep buying baby formula. Why the fuck was that shit so expensive.

Toby was also an interesting kid to say the least. Only being quiet when he wanted to be. He would stumble around the apartment, babbling sentences that didn't make sense. Other times he wouldn't make a sound, able to sneak up on Schlatt if he wasn't paying attention. He was a happy kid, almost always smiling, and it never failed to make Schlatt's heart hurt. The first time Toby legitimately cried was because Schlatt wasn't able to afford a small plush bee.

He regretted not saving his money better after that.

________

Schlatt met Phil through Wilbur and was very grateful once he did. Schlatt couldn't keep working from home, his jobs started to threaten to fire him. But he couldn't leave Toby alone. What if he drank rat poison or cut himself on nails? And getting a sitter was out of the question. Phil laughed when he expressed these fears, and Schlatt was too tired to be offended. It took a lot of convincing, but Phil finally got Schlatt to trust him with looking over Toby.

He was still nervous, racing back home as soon as he got off work. He expected the worst, kept the car running in case he had to go to the ER. But when he found Phil reading a story to a sleepy Toby, he couldn't help but feel lightheaded from the relief he felt. He gathered Toby up in his arms, expressing his thanks to Phil. Schlatt tried to pay him, but Phil refused. Said it was no trouble and he was happy to do it anytime. Schlatt hated to say it, but not paying Phil ended up helping him much more than he would've liked.

It soon became a normal thing. Phil would come over at eight, get the same run down that Schlatt always gave him. Phil always assured him that he would call him if anything went wrong, but Schlatt was always hesitant to hand Toby over. He eventually did, not wanting to be late. Schlatt apologized every time, feeling the need to justify himself. Phil always waved him off, saying he understood that it was hard to trust people around your kids. 

His words only helped so much, especially when Schlatt could see how his eyes moved around the small apartment. Made his stomach twist and his hands fidget. How he always asked if Toby was getting enough to eat. Schlatt knew that Toby deserved better, but he thought that he was doing the best he could. 

Schlatt only hoped that Phil thought the same.

________

Schlatt shivered as a harsh wind hit his face. Shaky hands pulled his jacket closer to his body as he walked, trying to preserve the little warmth he had left. His eyes glanced down at his watch, frowning when he saw how late it was getting. He had wanted to get home sooner, but work had gone later than expected and he still needed to get things for dinner. Did Toby like spaghetti? Could he even eat spaghetti? After careful consideration, Schlatt scrapped the idea of pasta for dinner. Too much of a choking hazard. He instead settled for tomato soup and grilled cheese. Tomato soup had become a stable meal in their house, being eaten at least twice a week. But it was the best food Schlatt could make in his opinion. Toby wouldn't choke on it and Schlatt was getting pretty good at making it. Plus, soup would probably help Toby feel better.

That kid was prone to getting sick, and this week had started with him getting the flu of all things. Schlatt couldn't believe it.

The cashier tried to strike up a conversation, but it fell flat when Schlatt was focused on making sure he could afford two cans of soup. He could, it was only four dollars per can. Frankly it was ridiculous that he got so worried in the first place. He knew that, but knowing things didn't mean it was easier to understand. He bagged the soup himself, thanking the cashier before he stepped out back into the cold world. 

He was only about fifteen minutes away from home when he pulled out his phone to call Phil. He felt bad about keeping him so late, especially on such short notice, so he figured telling him that he would be there soon was the least he could do. Maybe offer to make dinner for Phil and his kids some time later in the week. Seconds ticked by as Phil didn't answer, and Schlatt scowled at his device when no one picked up. He tried again. And then again. Each time the call went to voicemail and each time it made a pit form in Schlatt's stomach. He pocketed his phone as he began to try and justify why Phil wasn't answering. Maybe he was putting Toby to bed, the kid had been having issues sleeping lately. Maybe his phone died. He didn't need to panic, there was probably a perfectly normal explanation for whatever was going on.

Schlatt may have stopped himself from panicking in the streets, but didn't stop himself from running to the apartment. 

He struggled with his keys for an embarrassing long time, cursing when he almost broke the key off in the lock. But he did eventually get the door open, his heart dropping when he entered the apartment. All the lights were off, and it was eerily silent. Slowly, Schlatt closed the door behind himself, moving further into his home as words got caught in this throat. He placed the groceries on the kitchen counter, everything about this situation was raising alarm bells. He turned around, jumping when he saw Phil standing in the entryway. Schlatt let out a deep breath, a hand moving his chest to try and calm his racing heart.

"Jesus Christ, Phil... Fuckin' scared me, warn me next time," Schlatt took notice of the fact that Toby wasn't with Phil and he couldn't stop himself from smiling wearily, "Toby finally asleep? He stayed up all night, I'm sure he wasn't too hard to put down. I feel bad, I wish he wasn't getting sick every other week."

"Schlatt-"

"I was callin' you, sorry if you have fifty call notifications, got a little worried. But I cannot thank you enough for watching him again," Schlatt turn his back to the older man as he moved around the kitchen, grabbing a pot to heat the soup up in, "Hey, if you and your family aren't too busy this Friday, I would love to have you all over for dinner-"

"Schlatt. Stop," Phil's voice was dark, filled with something that was completely unfamiliar to Schlatt. It filled Schlatt with dread as he turned to look at Phil. Phil just sighed, stepping closer and gestured towards one of the dinning room chairs, "You need to sit down."

Schlatt didn't comply, posture going stiff as his heart started to race again, "What's going on?"

"Can you please sit down-"

"What happened to Toby?"

Schlatt was hoping that he was wrong for saying that. Hoped that Phil would smile and shake his head, maybe laugh it off. Hoped that Phil would tell him that the power was shut down because the landlord lost their rent. He just wanted Phil to give some kind of reaction at his words, tell him that he didn't need to worry because Toby was perfectly okay. That if Schlatt walked down the hallway he would find Toby sleeping in his bed. But Phil didn't say anything like that. Instead, he just looked at Schlatt with the saddest eyes and the Schlatt knew that his hoping wasn't going to save him from the truth.

"I took him to the hospital about two hours ago."

Schlatt placed the pot onto the counter as he stepped towards Phil, "Wha- Why did he need to go the fucking hospital?!"

"He stopped breathing and wouldn't open his eyes. Called the paramedics and they took him away."

Schlatt ran a hand through his hair, tears building in his eyes as he let out a strangled laugh, "So he's still there, right? They're taking care of him, he'll be okay right?"

The world was crashing down on Schlatt in that tiny apartment and he wondered how much more he could hold before he fully broke. Phil just kept looking at him with those pitiful eyes as he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Schlatt waited and waited for him to say this wasn't actually happening. That this was all just a God awful joke. Schlatt was begging for this all not to be happening. Maybe he was just misunderstanding everything. Or better yet! Maybe he was still at work, just stuck inside some terrible dream that would be over in seconds. 

He knew deep down that wasn't true. And it didn't take long for Phil to confirm that he was just lying to himself.

"I'm so sorry Schlatt..."

Schlatt laughed again, shaking his head as tears started to flow down his face, "Why? He's gonna be fine, he's just waiting- I mean he just- He can't be-" 

Schlatt was choking on his own words, the room starting to spin as he realized he wasn't going to be able to keep denying the truth. Hands went to his face, covering his mouth as silent sobs started to shake his body. His mind was trying to reason with him. Trying to tell him things that would've made sense to a sound mind, but his mind was the furthest from that right now. Every single thought that could've given him more understanding was shot down and pushed into the darkness. Never to be addressed again.

Phil stayed where he stood, watching as Schlatt broke down under the weight of the world.

________

"What's your name again, kid?"

"Uh... Tubbo, sir."

"Don't call me that. Ever run a country before?"

"No, I'm sixteen."

Schlatt paused, turning to look at Tubbo who was following a few steps behind him, "Didn't you fight in the war?" Tubbo nodded and Schlatt just rolled his eyes, facing forward again as he continued walking, "Jesus Christ Wilbur... Child soldiers? Really?"

"Well to be fair to Wilbur, he didn't really think Dream was actually going to fight us."

"So you were basically a human shield," Schlatt laughed, a sound that wasn't pretty and tore at the insides of this throat, "And I thought I was the one who lost it."

The two of them stopped walking at the top of a hill. Schlatt placed his hands in pockets, looking out across the new country as the sun started to set. Summer here was much better than the one he was used to in the city. He liked seeing the ground not constantly covered by snow. He took in a deep breath, glancing down at Tubbo who stared up at him with unamused eyes. Schlatt raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Are Tommy and Wilbur really never allowed to come back?"

Schlatt sighed, rolling his shoulders, as he looked back at the setting sun, "I don't think I'll be around here for very long, kid. Wilbur, he'll take this whole thing personally. They'll be back. Whether that's because I let them come back or not is what is to be seen," Schlatt glanced at Tubbo, "You'll see your brothers again."

"They're not my brothers."

Schlatt's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Tubbo, who kept his gaze locked forward on the horizon, "They're not? I thought they were."

"They basically are. But I'm not actually related to them. Phil found me in a box and took me in."

"A box?"

"That's what I've been told. In box abandoned on the side of the road," Tubbo paused, taking a deep breath, "I guess it doesn't really matter. Whoever my 'real' parents were didn't want me. I got lucky and people who did want me found me. I know things could've been worse..."

Schlatt's eyes moved back up to the quickly setting sun, the sky now purples and pinks. The blue of the day almost completely gone, "But you still want to know why they left you."

"Yeah... And I know I'll never know, and it's a selfish thing to want, but sometimes I just want answers..."

"Y'know, it's okay to be selfish."

Tubbo nodded but didn't say anything else. Schlatt didn't push him to talk anymore. Just let silence fall on them as the land they stood on got covered in darkness as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Schlatt glanced down at his watch, knowing they should head back in to the house so that Tubbo could get to bed. He waited until the stars scattered across the sky to begin guiding Tubbo home. 

"Don't go telling people I was nice to you, kid. I have an image to upkeep."

Tubbo laughed, "I won't I promise."

Schlatt smiled as he ruffled Tubbo's hair, "Knew I could count on you," He opened the door to the White House allowing Tubbo to enter first, "Now we gotta figure out dinner. You like tomato soup?"

Tubbo nodded, a smile spreading across his face, "Love it!"

Schlatt ignored the tug on his heart and smiled back, "Good, because it's the only thing I'm good at making."

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are appreciated


End file.
